ElitExpert begins a series of interviews with people who entered the National rating of influence "Elite of Ukraine-2021": with the topic of who really controls the main resources of power and property, making important decisions for the country.
Our guest is Oleg Muratov, Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration. In the speech, Oleg Mykhailovych summarized the results of the year in the region (spoiler: they are quite good) and told what problems and challenges the Odesa region faces in the coming year.
— The experts of the National rating of influence "Elite of Ukraine" set themselves the task of distinguishing truly influential people of the Odessa region, making key decisions. At the same time, we want to see such an elite in the country, which is endowed not only with powers, but also with high moral qualities and intelligence. Therefore, it is very nice to present you with a laureate diploma!
— Thank you for the high evaluation of my modest work at the OGA, from which I derive great pleasure. We have an excellent team, with the playing head coach Sergey Rafailovich. This inspires new achievements, especially since we are faced with a number of new tasks.
- What kind?
— The hour is running out, a lot has been achieved, but I want to do even more. Summing up, we can say that we practically managed to solve a very important task that we have been working on throughout the year. We are talking about a problematic situation in the maritime industry. Yes, there is still a small minus in terms of indicators, but this is far from the figure of -25%, which was in January of this year, and not -20% at the end of the first quarter. Recently, I took part in the work of the Odessa Seaport Council, where there were representatives not only of state-owned enterprises, the administration of seaports, but also of private stevedores. There was an honest conversation: people heard that the government turned its face to them, and this is very important. I, in turn, thanked them for the normal salary for employees (in stevedoring companies, the average salary is somewhere around 25 thousand hryvnias), for the fact that, including with their taxes, we build schools and houses, do a lot and more we want to do more.
— This year, Ukraine ends with a record harvest for the entire period of independence. Odesa Oblast is not "lagging behind" in terms of these indicators?
- On the contrary. Our merit in the record Ukrainian harvest is very significant. For the first time in the history of the region, Odesa Oblast has set the bar of 5 million tons! Now the second task arose - to try to maintain this level. However, there are a number of objective problems that can prevent this. First of all, this is the cost of fertilizers, which is directly linked to the cost of natural gas, which is currently breaking all records on European markets. Despite the fact that the price of wheat has risen significantly — from 210-230 to 300 dollars per ton, the cost of fertilizers has almost quadrupled, and this is a problem.
Also, today we are actively working to ensure that the Odesa port plant is fully operational. Thanks to our efforts, the plant began to produce medical oxygen. Moreover, in November-December, when the situation with the coronavirus was very difficult, on the instructions of the head of the OGA, I personally went to the enterprise and we managed to find a mechanism that allowed us to double the oxygen output.
Just the other day, we met with the head of the Southern Interregional Department of the DPS on work with large tax payers. We are working on the issue of raising the level of wages in the region, and we will definitely achieve this issue, since it is taxes and the filling of local budgets.
— I would like as many new investors as possible to come to the Odesa region, how can this be done?
— In order to attract systemic investors to the region, several factors are necessary: a good investment climate, a clear government and ecology. We have the first two factors in terms of ecology, so now we are solving an issue that has not been raised for many years: we are taking out toxic chemicals that have remained in the region since Soviet times. We have about 500 tons of poisonous substances in total, and 55 of them have already been removed this hour. Next year, we want to take everything else, including a large warehouse to Altestovo. True, for this we need the help of the Ministry of Infrastructure, since the warehouse is on the balance sheet of the Odessa port.
— In general, how are the relations between the Odesa OGA and the central government?
— We were able to establish close cooperation with the majority of ministries and bodies of the central executive power. They often come to our region, we travel around the territory of the region to give Kyiv officials the opportunity to see everything with their own eyes. This is very important for making the right management decisions. A big contribution to the positive solution of these issues is directly made by Sergey Rafailovich, as a person who enjoys great authority and is the chairman of the Chamber of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
This is how we, for example, for the first time managed to “break through” partial compensation for losses incurred in 2020 by Odessa agricultural producers. The average cost of compensation was about 230 thousand per farm, a decent amount. In addition, with money from the local budget, we decided to support animal husbandry - one of the key industries of the region. Today we have 10 times fewer cows than at the dawn of independence, but they produce only 4 times less milk. That is, productivity has increased by two and a half times, but in general this does not save the situation. Therefore, we decided on a subsidy of one thousand hryvnias for each cow from the regional budget. It will cost about 4 million hryvnias.
Approximately the same amount will go to partial compensation for the purchase of elite seeds from Odessa producers — that is, we try to leave the money in the region. And we will send approximately 7 million hryvnias for partial compensation for the purchase of Ukrainian-made tractors, and these will be small tractors - up to a million hryvnias on average. Therefore, compensation of 200-250 thousand is very important for small farms.
In addition, intensive work with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine led to the fact that we invested 10 million hryvnias in 12 irrigation projects - this will give us the opportunity to irrigate 40 thousand additional hectares next year. By the way, today, in the state budget of Ukraine for 2022, 1 billion hryvnias have already been pledged for irrigation systems, and I am sure that the Odesa region will claim a very significant part of these funds.
Also, next year we want to equip a network of refrigerators for agricultural production — first of all, in the south of the Odesa region, along the route of the Odesa — Reny highway. Because farmers produce a lot, but they cannot save everything. This has not yet happened in the Odesa region, but we have seen in other regions how farmers are forced to simply throw away their crops. To prevent this, a system of "refrigerators" is necessary.
— Are preventive measures being prepared so that Odesa Oblast passes this winter without excesses, based on the difficult situation with energy carriers?
— We have created a special anti-crisis headquarters for the situation in the energy industry. We managed to implement the opportunities provided by the central government — all budget institutions signed the relevant contracts and will be heated at the price provided by the state. Also, we work very closely with Oblenergo — we agreed with them to coordinate the future schedule of possible "fan" power outages to avoid chaos. However, we hope that we will do without disabled...
We also work with the ports of the region as much as possible - so that incoming ships with imported coal are reloaded as quickly as possible, so that there are no delays. We also work with the population.
— We have already gone through several waves of coronavirus infection. How do you see the situation regarding COVID-19 next year? What are you preparing for?
— I am not sure that there is at least one person in the whole world who can fully answer this question. We see that new strains of the virus are constantly appearing, and each of them differs from the previous ones. At the local level, we are doing what we can - firstly, this is vaccination, and secondly, the preparation of covid-XNUMX hospitals and hospitals so that all those in need have access to stationary oxygen. In general, medicine is now our priority.
I really hope that in 2022 the pandemic will end or at least turn into an ARVI-type disease. The most important thing: don't panic and do your work every day with maximum efficiency.
— At the end of February, we will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the creation of Odessa region. What events are planned in connection with the anniversary?
— In general, the entire next year will be declared the year of the 90th anniversary of the Odesa region, and at the session of the regional council on December 17, the program "Odessa - 90" has already been adopted and money allocated. There will be many events in which all local communities will participate. There is also an interesting idea about creating a park of nationalities of the Odesa region...
In addition, our region will become the main platform for the implementation of the "EU Strategy for the Danube Region" next year. Since October, Ukraine has led this project for one hour, taking over the baton from Slovakia. For us, this is a very good opportunity to show ourselves, our investment potential. A number of events are planned that will be held on the territory of the Odessa region: in Odessa, in Izmail and other settlements of our Danube region.
And in general, our position is as follows: Odesa region should occupy a leading position among the regions of Ukraine - as it was during the first term of office of Sergei Rafailovich. We have good economic indicators this year, we occupy the first place in terms of the growth rate of agricultural production, the first places in terms of the rate of industrial production, in the production of construction products, in the construction of housing... These are key positions, and thank God, we are the leaders in them.
On the other hand, in recent years Odessa has lost a lot as an educational and scientific center. And it is necessary to return these positions. I would like some universities in our region to be more interesting and in demand both for our residents and for foreigners. Without investments in this area, it will be very difficult...
We know that we have a literate, hardworking and enterprising people. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone on the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays and wish them good health and luck! Take care of yourself, family and friends, and everything will work out for us!
Interviewed by Elena Ovchinnikova
Photo: Sergey Lyashonok
